Sept. 13, 2010

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - With only 18 holes remaining in the 2010 Sam Hall Intercollegiate, the Louisiana Tech Bulldog golf team is only two shots off the lead following Monday's opening 36 holes at Hattiesburg Country Club.

True freshman Jack Lempke, playing in his first collegiate event, shot an opening round four-under-par 67 and teammate Sam Forgan followed in his teammates footsteps in the second round with an identical 67 as the Bulldogs recorded a team total of seven-under-par 561.

Tech is in third place in the 15-team event hosted by Southern Mississippi, trailing only Kennesaw State (559) and UL-Lafayette (560). The Bulldogs lead 12 teams in the tournament, including Southeastern Louisiana (562), Southern Miss (564), Mississippi State (566), Arkansas State (566), UL-Monroe (567), Memphis (568), Wichita State (570), UALR (576), Troy (582), South Alabama (585), Winthrop (585) and Rice (592).

Forgan and Lempke both rank in the top 10 in the individual standings heading into Tuesday morning's final round as Forgan is tied for fifth with a two-round total of four-under-par 138 and Lempke is tied for eighth with a total of two-under-par 140.

Senior Clinton Shepard, who shot an opening round three-under-par 68, is tied with teammate Cody Santone for 24th with a two-round total of even-par 142. Hayden Stephens is tied for 60th with a 148. Jonathan Bale, playing as an individual, is tied for 47th with a 146.

UL-Lafayette's Andrew Noto leads the competition with a nine-under-par 133.